1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the field of electronic devices and, more particularly, to a device, system, and method for use in easily pairing a peripheral device with a host device for the purposes of establishing a secure channel of wireless communication between the two devices with minimal user interaction.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following descriptions and examples are not admitted to be prior art by virtue of their inclusion within this section.
In order to allow computer users more freedom of movement and cleaner workspaces, the computing industry has developed wireless peripheral devices, such as keyboards, mice, and game controllers. Generally, these wireless devices may connect with host devices (e.g. personal computers and workstations) via a wireless communication channel. Forms of wireless communication used in this application include infrared-various radio frequency (“RF”) communications. RF technology allows wireless communications between peripheral devices and host devices without requiring alignment of the devices or a path free of obstructions between the devices. Several types of RF wireless technology are known in the art, including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g), and Ultra-Wideband (UWB).
Examples of public and un-secure radio pairings commonly used in computing device communications include Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g), Bluetooth, and Ultra-Wide Band. Current technology implementations do not have a defined simple and secure protocol to establish a secure communication channel and require a manual data exchange over public airspace between the host and peripheral device in order to establish a secure channel of communication. Using the public airspace to broadcast a pairing request and to exchange security information is prone to various security breaches. For instance, an eavesdropper may try to intercept a radio transmission containing a security key.
A “host” is understood to be any device or system to which other devices can connect. For example, the host may be a personal computer as shown herein, or it may be a wireless router, a docking station, or any other device or system that functions similarly insofar as it allows multiple other devices to connect to it for use and distribution of resources. Similarly, a “peripheral device” is defined to be any device capable of connecting to a host device. Examples of peripheral devices include a wireless keyboard, mouse, game controllers, and personal digital assistant (PDA) as described herein, but may also include another personal computer or a similar device.
For those using peripheral devices to enter sensitive data into a host system, such as passwords or account numbers, security is important. Here, encryption is sometimes used in order to protect such sensitive information. Encryption is the process of encoding information in such a way that only the person (or computer) with the encryption key, a code that the devices use to encrypt or decrypt a packet of information that is transmitted to or from a device, can decipher the information. The use of encryption to facilitate secure communication between a peripheral device and a host device requires that both devices are equipped with the same encryption key. A private key, or symmetric key, is an encryption/decryption key known only to the party or parties that exchange encrypted communications. Generally, systems that currently employ private key encryption technology require the person setting up the devices to manually pass the encryption key from one device to the other. The process of setting up the peripheral and host device to communicate securely using an encryption key is known in the art as “pairing.”
Already, many computing devices use open and public radio technologies. To protect the data sent between the devices, a key-passed encryption method is often used. However, to install the keys, a non-radio technique has to be employed in order to prevent the key from being stolen while transmitted over open airwaves. A non-radio technique can be problematic because it requires complex wired and wireless techniques for the initial pairing. The wired method is safer but adds a used-very-rarely link, since all subsequent data transmissions are sent via radio and protected via key-based encryption. Adding the wired link also adds cost, design complexity and user complexity. Wireless methods for creating a secured pairing are known, but these methods require the user to pair the device by going through a sequence of manual steps, such as inputting the key manually.
Many wireless devices are paired through a multi-step process wherein (1) the user obtains a passcode for the peripheral device, (2) the user will then enable the wireless radio on the host device and activate a “search for devices” option in the control panel, (3) the user will then press the reset button on the peripheral device, (4) the host device will then locate the keyboard and ask the user to type in the passcode at the keyboard; and (5) the host device will then confirm the passcode and establish the connection with the peripheral device for general use.
Thus, there is a need for a device, system, and/or method for simplifying and securing the connection and pairing process between a host device and any wireless peripheral device.